JP4169440B2 - Printer assembly and printer - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printer assembly (printing function assembly) for printing on thermal paper and a printer.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, a variety of computers have been developed and used, ranging from portable computers such as notebook computers to portable or mobile computers that fit in pockets such as PDAs. Furthermore, with the spread of the Internet, the use of computers has spread to various fields such as information provision and communication, and the user group has also expanded from specialists to general users. In the future, as the number of users expands, computers are considered to be used daily in general households. In addition, the application is also progressing in the direction of processing daily routine work at home by introducing electronic payment.
[0003]
As the number of computers or other mobile devices increases, it is likewise desired that a printout can be output whenever desired. In addition, in the case of using a computer for daily work such as electronic transactions, the amount printed out is small and the printer is often used less frequently. Therefore, one style required for future printers can be held with a portable information processing device (portable terminal) such as a PDA or a mobile phone, or can be built into the information processing device, or even in a portable terminal. It is sure that it is thin and compact so that it can be docked, and it is lightweight and low-cost. Since a printer that prints on thermal paper using a thermal head does not require ink or ribbon, the printing mechanism can be compactly integrated. In particular, a line thermal printer in which the thermal head is extended in the paper width direction (scanning direction or line direction) can be combined in a very compact manner because it does not require a mechanism for moving the thermal head in the scanning direction. It is a printer suitable for.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in order to realize a printer having a very small thickness, for example, about 10 mm or less, a mechanism for pressing the printing paper against the thermal head is one big neck. A mechanism that feeds the thermal paper while pressing the thermal paper to the thermal head by sandwiching the thermal paper between the thermal head and the platen roller and rotating the platen roller is adopted. However, a thin printer with a thickness of 10 mm or less is used. To achieve this, it is necessary to make the diameter of the platen roller smaller than the conventionally considered size. If the platen roller has a small diameter, the contact area is insufficient. Therefore, in order to press the printing paper against the thermal head with a predetermined force, it is necessary to press the platen roller with a stronger force. However, since the strength is insufficient when the diameter of the platen roller is 10 mm or less, distortion is likely to occur when the pressing force is increased. In particular, when the diameter is about 5 mm or less, the platen roller is distorted as a whole. Therefore, the printing paper cannot be pressed against the thermal head with the force required for printing only by supporting both ends. In particular, when the line thermal head is used, the pressing force of the thermal paper varies in the paper width direction, and if the pressing force is partially insufficient, the print quality deteriorates, so that printing is impossible in practice.
[0005]
In order to prevent distortion of the platen roller, there is a method in which the platen roller is divided in the longitudinal direction to expose the shaft, and the middle of the shaft is supported by a bearing. However, in the case of a platen roller, since it is necessary to apply a uniform pressure continuous in the scanning direction, the platen roller cannot be divided in the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, it is also possible to support the entire platen roller from the side opposite to the thermal head by a member extending in the longitudinal direction. However, the surface of the platen roller uses a material having a high friction coefficient such as rubber in order to smoothly feed the paper. For this reason, in the pressurized state, there exists a problem that the frictional force between such a support member and a platen roller is too large, and motor power increases. Therefore, this method cannot be adopted.
[0006]
It is possible to arrange several sub-rollers in the longitudinal direction of the platen roller to prevent the platen roller from being distorted. However, in this mechanism, in addition to the platen roller, it is necessary to dispose a sub-roller and a bearing that supports the shaft, and to provide a clearance between the sub-roller and the housing. Therefore, a very thin printer cannot be realized.
[0007]
Under such circumstances, the inventors of the present application have eagerly developed a technique for realizing a card-type thermal printer having a thickness of about 5 mm or less. Then, the above-mentioned problems related to the platen roller were cleared, and a technology capable of realizing a very thin printer with high printing quality could be developed.
[0008]
That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a printing mechanism, that is, a printer assembly, which can collect a line thermal printer with a thickness of about 10 mm or less, and further about 5 mm or less. An object of the present invention is to provide a printer having a thickness of 10 mm or less, or about 5 mm or less.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
For this reason, in the printer assembly of the present invention, the platen roller is supported by a thin roller (shaft) having a small friction coefficient and the surface of the support roller is supported by a plate-like member to prevent the platen roller from being distorted. In addition, more pressure can be applied. That is, the printer assembly of the present invention includes a line thermal head, a platen roller having a high friction coefficient on the surface, which sandwiches the printing paper between the line thermal head and feeds the printing paper. Support rollers with low surface friction coefficient, which are arranged before and after the paper feed direction so as to support from the opposite side of the thermal head, and the support rollers to receive the surface of these support rollers from the opposite side of the line thermal head A support plate extending along the pressure plate, and a pressurizing means for applying pressure between the support plate and the line thermal head. As the platen roller, a metal member whose surface is processed to increase the friction coefficient, or a resin having a large friction coefficient such as phenol resin can be used, but the most suitable is a rubber system having a large friction coefficient and elasticity. The surface is covered with a material. On the other hand, a resin member having a low friction coefficient, for example, a material such as nylon or polyethylene, is suitable as the support roller, and the most suitable is a fluorine type whose friction coefficient is a fraction of rubber or one digit or more smaller. A resin rod-like member is used.
[0010]
A platen roller having a high friction coefficient is received by a support roller having a low friction coefficient, and further received by a support plate extending along the longitudinal direction of the support roller, so that the platen roller continuously moves along the longitudinal direction of the platen roller. The load can be supported. Therefore, even if the platen roller itself does not have high rigidity, the platen roller can prevent distortion and apply a high pressure. At the same time, the support roller having a small friction coefficient rotates with the platen roller, and the support roller having a small friction coefficient rotates with respect to the support plate. For this reason, the frictional force when driving the platen roller can be reduced. Furthermore, since the support roller is directly received by the support plate, it is not necessary to separate the support roller from the structural member, and the line thermal head, the platen roller, and the support roller can be arranged in a very thin space. Accordingly, it is possible to realize a printer assembly that can be assembled in a very thin space and can smoothly perform paper feeding with low power.
[0011]
Further, by providing the support rollers before and after the platen roller, the positions before and after the platen roller can be defined by the support roller. Further, by arranging the platen roller and the support roller in this way, the line connecting the central axes of the platen roller and the support roller is inclined with respect to the direction in which the platen roller and the thermal head are in contact with each other. The support roller can be arranged thinner.
[0012]
For example, for a printing paper of a postcard size (A6 size), a thickness of about 5 mm or less is obtained by combining a thermal head having a thickness of 2 mm, a platen roller having a diameter of 2 mm, and a supporting roller having a diameter of 1 mm. A printer assembly can be realized. Therefore, it is very thin by combining such a thin printer assembly and a paper feed mechanism for supplying thermal paper to the printer assembly, and it can be carried, incorporated into an information processing apparatus, or a portable terminal such as a cellular phone. Therefore, it is possible to provide a compact printer suitable for being used by being docked. When the printing paper is large, the platen roller is required to have torsional strength, so that the platen roller needs a diameter of about 10 mm. However, the rigidity to the extent that the platen roller itself does not distort with respect to the pressure as in the conventional printer is not required. Therefore, a printer assembly and a printer having a thickness of about several tens of millimeters can be realized according to the present invention for A4 size printing paper.
[0013]
The present invention aims to provide such a very thin printer assembly and printer, and it is desirable that the diameter of the platen roller be as small as possible. Therefore, as described above, it is difficult to impart rigidity to the platen roller so as not to be distorted or to keep the platen roller horizontal with respect to the thermal head. In the present invention, since the support roller is supported along the longitudinal direction, a flexible and flexible platen roller is adopted, and this and the flexible support roller are reversed. By combining, the platen roller can be brought into close contact with the thermal line head. In particular, since it is difficult to reinforce the thermal line head if the whole is thin, if the thin thermal head is employed, the thermal head itself may be bent by pressure. Even in such a case, in the printer assembly of the present invention, by adopting a flexible platen roller, the platen roller can be brought into close contact with the thermal head, and the printer assembly having high reliability and printing quality. Can provide. As such a platen roller, a flexible shaft coated with rubber forming the surface is suitable, and as a support roller, a flexible shaft itself having a low friction coefficient is formed. Things are suitable.
[0014]
In the printer assembly of the present invention, since the platen roller is supported substantially continuously along the longitudinal direction, pressure may be applied from either the upper or lower direction, that is, the direction of the line thermal head, and the direction of the support plate. Pressure may be applied. Alternatively, it is of course possible to apply pressure from both sides. For example, a pressure can be applied by configuring the support plate with a highly rigid member and supporting the support plate with respect to the frame or the like by a highly elastic member such as a spring or rubber. Alternatively, the support plate itself can be an elastic member such as a leaf spring.
[0015]
Furthermore, when pressure is applied from the support plate side, the support plate can be divided along the longitudinal direction at an appropriate pitch to increase the adhesion of the platen roller to the line thermal head. In particular, it is possible to provide a printer assembly and a printer capable of increasing the adhesion of the platen roller by combining with a flexible platen roller and a support roller, and performing high-quality printing.
[0016]
It is also possible to provide the support plate with irregularities in the longitudinal direction of the support roller to further reduce the frictional force between the support roller and the support plate.
[0017]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a planar configuration of a printer 1 according to the present invention. The printer 1 of this example is a portable printer housed in a housing 2 having a square shape of about A7 size (74 mm × 105 mm) and a thickness of about 5 mm, and is a printer like a thin card as a whole. Inside the housing 2, a space 3 is provided for storing a heat-sensitive cut sheet (cut sheet paper or standard paper) of A8 size (52 mm × 74 mm). The cut sheets 8 are supplied to the printer assembly 10 one by one, and the printed paper is output from the paper discharge port 4 on the opposite side.
[0018]
As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 2, the paper feeding mechanism 20 of the present example includes a push-up plate 21 disposed so as to push up the vicinity of the front end of the cut sheet 8, and a cut in cooperation with the push-up plate 21. The pickup roller 22 arranged so as to sandwich the sheet 8 and the front end 8a of the cut sheet 8 fed by the pickup roller 22 come into contact with each other, and only the cut sheet located at the uppermost part (the pickup roller 22 side) is separated. Thus, a separation wall (separation part) 23 for feeding to the printer assembly 10 is provided. A spring 24 that drives the push-up plate 21 is installed between the push-up plate 21 and the housing 2.
[0019]
A printer assembly 10 that performs printing on the supplied thermal paper 8 includes a line thermal head (hereinafter referred to as a thermal head or head) 11 that extends in the paper width direction W and a thermal paper between the thermal head 11. 8, a platen roller 12 that presses the thermal surface of the thermal paper 8 against the thermal head 11, two support rollers 13 a and 13 b that support the platen roller 12 from the opposite side of the thermal head 11, and these support rollers A support plate 14 that further supports 13a and 13b is provided. The support plate 14 is pushed up against the housing 2 by the spring 15 in the direction of the thermal head 11, so that the platen roller 12 is pressed toward the printing surface 11 a of the thermal head 11. As a result, the thermal sheet 8 is pressed against the thermal head 11 with sufficient pressure by the platen roller 12, printed, and discharged from the paper discharge port 4.
[0020]
As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 2 of the printer 1 of the present example further houses a motor 61 for driving the pickup roller 22 and the platen roller 12 and a power transmission mechanism 62 thereof. A battery space 65 serving as a power source 61 is also prepared. In addition, although not shown, the printer 1 of this example is an interface function that receives data to be printed by communicating with a host (terminal) such as a personal computer or a PDA, and a function that controls the motor 61 according to the data. All functions necessary to operate as a printer are provided. Therefore, it is possible to easily print out desired data at any time simply by carrying the printer 1 of this example together with a portable terminal such as a PDA. Alternatively, the mobile phone can be integrated with the mobile terminal or the information processing apparatus by being docked with a mobile phone or housed in a device bay of a notebook personal computer.
[0021]
The printer 1 of this example employs several mechanisms so that the whole can be thinned. First, in the pickup roller 22 of the paper feeding mechanism 20, a plurality of rotating bodies 22b having a diameter of about 2 mm are connected by a shaft 22a having a diameter of about 1 mm in the paper width direction, and the shaft 22a is a housing between these rotating bodies 22b. 2 is supported by a bearing 25 extending from the bearing 2. Therefore, even if the roller has a small diameter, the printing paper 8 can be reliably picked up without being distorted in the middle. In general, a method of increasing the strength by increasing the diameter is used to prevent the roller from being distorted. For this purpose, a diameter of about 10 mm or more is required. On the other hand, like the pickup roller 22, the roller body (rotating body) is divided into a plurality of parts, and the shaft is supported by a bearing (shaft support) between them to support the shaft within the thickness of the roller. The mechanism can be arranged and shaft bending can be prevented. Therefore, it is not necessary to have the strength to receive all the pressure by the roller itself or the roller alone, and the diameter of the roller can be reduced to about 10 mm or less, further to about 5 mm or less and distortion can be prevented.
[0022]
However, this support method cannot be applied to the platen roller 12 because the roller is divided in the longitudinal direction. That is, if the platen roller 12 does not press the printing paper over the entire longitudinal direction of the thermal head 11, a portion that cannot be printed or a portion that causes printing failure occurs. Therefore, in the printer assembly 10 of this example, the platen roller 12 is supported by the two support rollers 13a and 13b.
[0023]
FIG. 3 shows a developed view of the components constituting the printer assembly 10, and FIG. 4 shows a schematic configuration of the printer assembly 10 in a cross section in the lateral direction. FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration of the printer assembly 10 as viewed from the side in the longitudinal direction. The two support rollers 13 a and 13 b are arranged before and after the paper feeding direction X of the platen roller 12. Therefore, the line connecting the center 12a of the platen roller 12 and the centers 13c of the support rollers 13a and 13b is inclined with respect to the thickness direction T connecting the center 12a of the platen roller 12 and the printing surface 11a of the thermal head 11. The configuration in which the platen roller 12 and the support rollers 13a and 13b are overlapped is smaller than the sum of the diameters. The platen roller 12 of this example is a roller having a diameter of 2 mm in which a silicon rubber coating layer 12c is applied to a resin or metal shaft 12b having a diameter of 1 mm. On the other hand, the support rollers 13a and 13b are made of a fluorine resin. Is a rod-shaped roller or shaft having a diameter of 1 mm. Therefore, when the platen roller 12 and the support rollers 13a and 13b are arranged as in this example, the whole can be arranged in a space of 3 mm or less, for example, a thickness of about 2.5 mm.
[0024]
The support plate 14 that supports the support rollers 13a and 13b from the side opposite to the thermal head 11 is a U-shape that opens to the thermal head 11 side so that the support rollers 13a and 13b can be accommodated in the front and rear corners 14a and 14b. It has become. Therefore, when the platen roller 12 rotates, the two support rollers 13a and 13b rotate around the corners 14a and 14b of the support plate 14, and the center 13c of each support roller does not move back and forth. For this reason, the platen roller 12 supported front and rear by these support rollers 13a and 13b also does not move back and forth within the plate 14 but rotates at a predetermined position.
[0025]
Further, the support plate 14 includes an arm portion 14 c extending in the paper feeding direction, and the arm portion 14 c is pressed upward by the spring 15, that is, in the direction of the thermal head 11. For this reason, the support rollers 13 a and 13 b are moved in the direction of the thermal head 11 by the support plate 14, and as a result, the platen roller 12 is pressed toward the thermal head 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the support plate 14 is divided into several parts in the longitudinal direction L of the platen roller 12, and a spring 15 is provided for each of the separated parts 14d. The platen roller 12 of this example is flexible because it is composed of a thin resin or metal shaft and a rubber coating as described above, and the support rollers 13a and 13b are also made of resin. There is sex. Therefore, the platen roller 12 is pressed against the thermal head 11 via the support rollers 13a and 13b by the support plate 14d separated into several parts. For this reason, the platen roller 12 has a shape along the thermal head 11 and is in close contact with the thermal head 11. For example, even when the thermal head 11 is slightly distorted or inclined, the platen roller 12 can be deformed and pressed along its shape. Therefore, the printing paper 8 can be brought into close contact with the thermal head 11 with a predetermined pressure, and high quality printing without fading can be performed.
[0026]
In a conventional printer, the platen roller has a high rigidity so that distortion does not occur in order to press the printing paper uniformly against the thermal head. For this reason, a metal rigid roller having a certain diameter, for example, a diameter of 10 mm or more is employed. However, the purpose of this example is to provide a very thin printer, and the diameter of the platen roller 12 is reduced. For this reason, since the rigidity of the platen roller 12 cannot be ensured, a flexible roller is employed instead of a highly rigid roller, contrary to the platen roller of the conventional printer. Then, the flexible platen roller 12 is thermally pressed by the flexible roller by pressing the flexible platen roller 12 with the support plate 14 appropriately divided in the longitudinal direction through the flexible support rollers 13a and 13b. The printing paper 8 can be brought into close contact with the head 11. As described above, in the printer 1 of this example, unlike the technique of increasing the rigidity of the platen roller in order to press the printing paper uniformly against the thermal head, the flexible and flexible platen roller 12 is used. The diameter of the platen roller 12 is reduced to realize a very thin printer 1.
[0027]
Furthermore, in order to realize a thin printer, it is necessary to make the thermal head 11 thin or to omit a structure for reinforcing the thermal head or to make it compact. In this case, there is a possibility that the strength of the thermal head 11 cannot be sufficiently secured to maintain the horizontal level, and the thermal head 11 may be bent. However, since the printer of this example employs the flexible platen roller 12 and the support rollers 13a and 13b, the platen roller 12 and the support rollers 13a and 13b follow the shape of the thermal head 11. Therefore, even if the thermal head is slightly deformed, the printing paper can be brought into close contact with the thermal head 11 by the platen roller 12. Therefore, even a very thin printer can provide a printer with high reliability and high print quality.
[0028]
Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, irregularities 16 that are intermittent in the longitudinal direction of the roller are provided on the inside of the plate 14, that is, on the surface 14e that the support rollers 13a and 13b contact. Therefore, the area where the support rollers 13a and 13b come into contact with the plate 14 is reduced, and the frictional force between the support rollers 13a and 13b and the plate 14 is further reduced. For this reason, the load for rotating the support rollers 13a and 13b is reduced, and as a result, the load for rotationally driving the platen roller 12 is reduced, so that the power of the motor can be reduced.
[0029]
In the printer assembly (printer mechanism) 10 of this example, the platen roller 12 has a rubber surface and a high friction coefficient suitable for paper feeding. This is a fluororesin support roller 13a having a low friction coefficient. And 13b. Accordingly, since the platen roller 12 is rotatably supported by the support rollers 13a and 13b, the platen roller 12 rotates smoothly with the printing paper 8 sandwiched therebetween. On the other hand, the support rollers 13a and 13b rotate with their surfaces in contact with the inner surface 14e of the support plate 14. However, since the friction coefficient of these surfaces is low, the generated frictional force is small. Therefore, the platen roller 12 can be supported by the support plate 14 via the support rollers 13a and 13b without greatly affecting the movement of the platen roller 12. And by providing the unevenness 16 on the inner surface 14e of the support plate 14 as in this example, the frictional force generated in the support rollers 13a and 13b can be reduced, so that the platen roller 12 can be driven more smoothly.
[0030]
Similarly to the pickup roller 22, the support rollers 13a and 13b can be divided into a roller portion in the longitudinal direction to obtain a shaft core, which can be supported by a bearing. However, in the printer assembly 10 of this example, the diameter of the support roller 13a is about 1 mm, which is actually the shaft core itself. Therefore, it is impossible to form a shaft by further dividing it, and it is difficult to process. Furthermore, it is difficult to arrange the bearings in a space having a diameter of about 1 mm. And, to support the roller with the bearing, it is necessary to provide a space between the member supporting the bearing, for example, the housing and the supporting roller so that they do not contact. The distance between the support rollers does not contact even when the support roller is distorted, and needs to be a distance including manufacturing tolerances. Therefore, when these are totaled, it is difficult to arrange them comfortably in a space of about 1 to 2 mm. On the other hand, in the printer assembly 10 of this example, the support rollers 13a and 13b themselves have a small coefficient of friction so that their surfaces come into contact with the support plate. There is no need to provide a gap. Therefore, the support roller and the support plate can be arranged without difficulty in a space of about 1 mm.
[0031]
When the printing paper is about A4 or more, the platen roller 12 needs to have a diameter of about 10 mm or more because the platen roller 12 needs to be strong enough to rotate and drive. On the other hand, the support rollers 13a and 13b only need to be able to rotate and support the platen roller 12, and therefore, the support rollers 13a and 13b can have the same diameter as this example. Therefore, in order to minimize the thickness of the printer assembly 10, it is most desirable to support the support rollers 13a and 13b with the support plate 14 as in the present example. Of course, the shape of the support plate 14 is not limited to this example, and the support rollers 13 a and 13 b are positioned between the support plate 14 and the platen roller 12 so that the platen roller 12 does not contact the support plate 14. Anything is possible. For example, a groove that determines the position where the support rollers 13a and 13b rotate may be formed on the surface without being U-shaped. In this example, the platen roller is supported by two support rollers. However, it is of course possible to use three or more support rollers. In terms of preventing the platen roller from coming into direct contact with the support plate, a configuration in which one support roller is disposed between them can be used, but it is difficult to stably hold the position of the platen roller 12. Therefore, a configuration in which two or more support rollers are arranged at the front and rear as in this example is desirable.
[0032]
Further, in this example, the support plate 14 is divided in the longitudinal direction. However, even if the support plate is continuous in the longitudinal direction, the platen roller 12 can be pressed against the thermal head 11 with sufficient pressure. However, as described above, since the flexible platen roller and the support roller are employed, the platen roller 12 can be further adhered to the thermal head 11 by taking advantage of the flexibility of the platen roller and the support roller. It is desirable to apply pressure distributed in the longitudinal direction by dividing the support plate.
[0033]
Further, in this example, the support plate 14 is divided and the coil springs 15 are provided correspondingly to apply pressure, but other types of springs such as a leaf spring and a helical spring may be used. Further, other elastic members such as rubber may be used instead of the spring. Further, the support plate 14 can be structured to function as a leaf spring. In this example, the support plate 14 is provided with a spring to press the platen roller 12 in the direction of the thermal head 11, but conversely, a spring or a rubber plate is disposed on the thermal head 11 side to obtain pressure. You may do it. However, it is desirable to apply pressure from the side of the support plate 14 as in this example in that the platen roller 12 and the support rollers 13a and 13b are utilized to make close contact with the thermal head.
[0034]
As described above, the printer assembly 10 of this example is a thermal type that does not require a space for storing consumables such as ink, and adopts a configuration in which the platen roller 12 is supported by the support roller 13 and the support plate 14. Can be made very thin and compact. For this reason, by adopting this printer assembly 10, it is possible to realize a very thin printer having a thickness equivalent to a CD case or a floppy disk case. By rotating the platen roller 12, the printing paper 8 can be smoothly supplied, printed and discharged, and no special mechanism is required for paper supply or paper discharge. A printer with high reliability and low cost can be provided.
[0035]
Although it is a thin and compact printer, it can apply a sufficient pressure between the platen roller and the thermal head and press the printing paper almost evenly along the paper width direction. In addition, a printer having a thin thickness, for example, a thickness of about 5 mm can be provided. Therefore, the printer of this example can be easily purchased and can be stored anywhere such as pockets, handbags, drawers, etc., and can be easily carried with a portable terminal such as a PDA or a mobile phone, or these portables. Even when docked on a device, the size of the mobile device does not change significantly. Therefore, the printer can be easily used anytime and anywhere. Moreover, since the output printed on the cut sheet is obtained, the output result is easy to use. For this reason, it is a very convenient printer that can be carried without stress for users with low frequency of use and can be used anywhere when necessary.
[0036]
In the above example, an A7 size card type printer is described as an example, but it is needless to say that the size is not limited to this. It is possible to realize a printer of A8 size or smaller, and further, by adopting the printer assembly of the present invention, a printer using printing paper of A5 or A4 size or larger can be further reduced in size and weight. Can do. Of course, the print assembly of this example can also be applied to a printer that prints on roll paper, and by making the print portion compact, the entire printer can also be compactly combined even in a printer using roll paper.
[0037]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the printer assembly and printer of the present invention, the platen roller that presses the thermal paper together with the line thermal head is supported by the support plate via the support roller made of a member having a small friction coefficient. ing. This eliminates the need for consumables such as ink and does not require space, so that it can be realized in a compact manner, and the diameter of the platen roller can be reduced to the limit, and a printer with a thinner overall can be provided. Further, even in a thin printer assembly such as a card or a printer, the thermal paper can be pressed with a uniform pressure without distortion, so that a high-quality printed matter can be provided. For this reason, the present invention can solve a major problem that has been a bottleneck for realizing an ultra-thin printer, and can provide an ultra-thin printer having a thickness of about 5 mm.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a planar arrangement of a printer according to the present invention.
2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a structure of a printer assembly of the printer shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
3 is a developed perspective view showing the main components of the printer assembly of the printer shown in FIG.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the printer assembly.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view showing a part of the printer assembly.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Printer
2 Housing
3 Storage space for cut sheets
4 Paper exit
8 Cut sheet (printing paper, thermal paper, thermal sheet)
10 Printer assembly
11 Line thermal head
12 Platen roller
13a, 13b Support roller
14 Support plate
15 Spring
16 Concavity and convexity
20 Paper feed mechanism
21 Push-up plate
22 Pickup roller
23 Separation wall
24 Spring

Claims (10)

Line thermal head,
A platen roller having a high surface friction coefficient, sandwiching the printing paper between the line thermal head and feeding the printing paper,
A plurality of support rollers disposed on the front and back of the paper feed direction so as to support the platen roller from the opposite side of the line thermal head, and having a low surface friction coefficient;
A support plate that contacts the surfaces of the plurality of support rollers and extends along the plurality of support rollers so as to receive the plurality of support rollers from the opposite side of the line thermal head;
Possess a pressure means for applying pressure between the support plate and the line thermal head, the cross section of the support plate is a U-shaped open to the side of the line thermal head, the plurality of before and after the corner A printer assembly that contains support rollers . In Claim 1, the support plate is a highly rigid member,
The printer assembly, wherein the pressing means pressurizes the support plate.   The printer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support plate is a leaf spring and also serves as the pressure unit. Line thermal head,
A platen roller having a high surface friction coefficient, sandwiching the printing paper between the line thermal head and feeding the printing paper,
A plurality of support rollers disposed on the front and back of the paper feed direction so as to support the platen roller from the opposite side of the line thermal head, and having a low surface friction coefficient;
A support plate that contacts the surfaces of the plurality of support rollers and extends along the plurality of support rollers so as to receive the plurality of support rollers from the opposite side of the line thermal head; possess a support plate for pressing against the thermal head, the cross section of the support plate is a U-shaped open to the side of the line thermal head, seated plurality of supporting rollers, each before and after the corner The printer assembly.   5. The printer assembly according to claim 2, wherein the support plate is divided in a longitudinal direction of the plurality of support rollers. 6. The unevenness intermittently extending in the longitudinal direction of the plurality of support rollers so as to be in contact with the plurality of support rollers and to support the plurality of support rollers on the inner surface of the support plate. There is a printer assembly.   7. The printer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the platen roller and the plurality of support rollers are flexible.   8. The platen roller according to claim 7, wherein rubber that forms a surface is coated on a flexible shaft, and the plurality of support rollers are formed by a flexible shaft having a low friction coefficient. And the printer assembly.   The line thermal head according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the line thermal head includes at least a length of a paper width of the printing paper, and the platen roller presses the printing paper over the entire longitudinal direction of the line thermal head without being divided. Further, the plurality of support rollers are not divided, and continuously support the platen roller along the longitudinal direction. And a printer assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, a printer and a paper feeding mechanism for supplying the thermal paper in the printer assembly.

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